Phl, Australia ink 2012-2017 dev't strategy

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and Australia signed a Statement of Commitment for the Australia-Philippines Development Cooperation Strategy 2012-2017, providing a road map for the two countries’ partnership to address key issues in the Philippines that keep people poor and vulnerable to poverty.

Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) deputy director general James Batley and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) deputy director general Rolando Tungpalan signed the document during high-level consultations held at AusAID headquarters in Canberra.

The Statement of Commitment contains the respective commitments of the Australian and Philippine governments that will assist the poor and vulnerable to take advantage of the opportunities that can arise from a more prosperous, stable and resilient Philippines. The Statement of Commitment is in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2011–2016.

“The SoC’s strategic objectives of strengthening basic services for the poor and reducing vulnerabilities arising from climate change and conflict are supportive of the vision and consistent with the objectives, development priorities and outcomes of the Plan,” Tungpalan said.

“This new strategy focuses Australia’s aid program on select key issues where our assistance can make a real difference in improving the lives of the poor,” Batley said. “We will work together with Philippine partners to address critical gaps in social services for the poorest Filipinos, particularly education, and to reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters and conflict.”

Australian aid will assist the Philippine government to promote opportunities for all by improving learning outcomes of school children in English, math and science and ensuring that more children finish elementary and secondary education.

“Over the last five years, Australia has helped over two million Filipino children access better quality schooling,” Batley said. “Under the new strategy, we will build on these successes to help the Philippines continue improving learning outcomes as the government expands the education cycle through the K-to-12 reforms.” Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell said. “Australia will also have a strong focus on strengthening local governments, recognizing that they deliver most basic services to the poor. Australian assistance will seek to improve the transparency and accountability of local governments, with emphasis on providing more efficient and effective basic services, particularly road infrastructure,” he added.

“By 2017, we will have worked with local governments to rehabilitate and maintain up to 1,000 kms of the country’s secondary road network. Upgraded roads will help create local jobs, cut transportation costs and increase access of communities to services such as schools and health clinics,” Batley said.

Australia will assist in building capacity within relevant government institutions and facilitate partnerships between government and civil society to support the thrust for a more transparent and accountable government.

Australia is a long-standing development partner of the Philippines and the country’s largest bilateral grant aid donor. In the current financial year, Australia will provide over P5 billion in development assistance to the Philippines.